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Andrew Kavchak
ParticipantHi Folks,
Well, the new government in Ottawa has taken its seat in the saddle and just announced their agenda in the Speech from the Throne.
http://speech.gc.ca/sites/sft/files/speech_from_the_throne.pdf
One sentence seems to potentially be of relevance to our community: "And to support the health and well-being of all Canadians, the Government will begin work with the provinces and territories to develop a new Health Accord."
As you may recall, back in September of 2004, the Martin government convened a meeting with the Premiers that was supposed to put Medicare on stable footing for 10 years. The Accord involved the feds giving the provinces something like $40 billion, and the specific identification of some medical services and the target service delivery time frames, etc.
At the time, a few parents and myself protested outside the venue and managed to get our picture in the Globe and Mail with an article saying that the autism community was being discriminated against in Medicare and we wanted "in". Well, it sounds like this may be another chance to raise the issue.
Perhaps the leaders of the autism community should contact all the governments and persons at the provincial and federal levels who will be involved in this exercise and lobby them to use this new Health Accord opportunity to address the autism deficit in Medicare, etc.
ParticipantHi Folks,
Well, this is interesting…the CBC is actually reporting on the position of political parties with respect to autism policies (supports, supports, supports, etc.) in a provincial election.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/autism-support-nlvotes-1.3327797
ParticipantHi Folks,
This is interesting….as part of the new government's pledge to be more transparent, the PM's website now contains a list of "mandate letters" for each of the Ministers.
http://pm.gc.ca/eng/ministerial-mandate-letters
It is interesting that the PM has requested the Ministers of National Defence and Veterans Affairs to work on a "suicide prevention strategy" for veterans suffering from PTSD. The Globe and Mail carried a series of articles about the sad number of cases. Accordingly, the new government is reacting with appropriate urgency.
But what about an National Autism Strategy that…might have something concrete in it?
http://pm.gc.ca/eng/minister-health-mandate-letter
While there is a reference to making mental health care "more accessible", I did not see anything about autism. I guess the Globe did not carry enough articles lately and the PMO missed the one in the Toronto Star about 16,000 kids with autism in Ontario on waiting lists, etc.
But don't think for a minute that the PM does not want his Health Minister to be busy. It is a lengthy list of agenda items, including crucial new Liberal government priorities like getting marijuana legalized.
ParticipantHi Folks,
Well, the new federal Cabinet has been sworn in and there are three ladies at the table who may potentially be allies in our cause. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong…1) Kirsty Duncan is the new Minister of "Science". She has expressed some interest in autism issues in the past.
2) Jane Philpott is the new Minister of Health. She is a family physician and may have encountered autism from time to time in her practice. Hopefully, she may have some idea of just how dysfunctional and discriminatory the health system is for kids with autism.
3) Carla Qualtrough is the new Minister for "Sports and Persons with Disabilities". What will she interpret her mandate as being with respect to persons with disabilities?
ParticipantHi Folks,
And in today's Hamilton paper there is a story of a family paying $60,000 for autism treatment and going to the provincial legislature to ask for help (even though we are already supposed to have a public health insurance system).
http://www.thespec.com/news-story/6079326-hamilton-family-pays-for-60-000-autism-therapy/
I wonder how the security guards would deal with the problem if all 16,000 families in Ontario on waiting lists would all visit the legislature at the same time.
What an interesting thought…A day of action would send some waves through the political sphere…
ParticipantHi Folks,
According to an article in the Ottawa Citizen, which is largely based on reports of the Ontario Auditor General, it appears there are "over 16,000 children" in Ontario on waiting lists for autism services.
Over 16,000…
ParticipantHello Everyone,
I just spoke on the phone with Mr. Peter Stoffer, who asked me to convey a message to fellow parents in the autism community.
As many of you know, when I started protesting on Parliament Hill about the lack of Medicare coverage for autism treatment, I met many MPs and Senators, and journalists, etc… However, one of the first MPs that I met at that time (back in 2004) was Peter Stoffer. He was interested, he listened, he cared, and he helped our community to raise the issue in Parliament (through speeches, press conferences, tabling of petitions, attending and speaking at rallies, etc.). He has been one of our community's best allies on the Hill. Unfortunately, he was defeated in the recent election and I sent him a message to thank him for his efforts in moving the bar in the right direction. He asked me to thank all of you for all your efforts and for everything that you have taught and showed him over the past decade. He is a strong supporter because he knows our cause is just and the right thing to do. He was most appreciative of our community's support and gratitude for his efforts on our behalf.
Having visited his office on the Hill, I can also tell you that Mr. Stoffer had by far the most fascinating decorations of hats and different things that demonstrated to me one thing very clearly: he is a proud Canadian, and we were lucky to have him as a supporter of our cause.
Sincerely,
Andrew Kavchak (Ottawa)
ParticipantMeanwhile, in the U.S.A….
Many U.S. states have passed laws that require private health care insurers to cover autism treatment. But in Canada, where health care insurance is public (i.e., a government monopoly), the governments seem to have difficulty legislating themselves to do something for autism…
ParticipantHi Folks,
I don't know about you, but I've never been one to consider autism as a "gift". If given a choice, I would rather my son not have autism, and instead be able to speak and lead an independent life like his older brother.
In our community of parents and families with autism, it is a struggle to lobby local, provincial and federal governments for resources and programs. The first step usually involves pointing out that there is a problem.
But it is pretty hard to convince politicians who don't consider autism to be a problem, and even harder to do with those who consider autism to be a gift. And it is even harder to lobby when other organizations who claim to speak on our community's behalf characterize autism as a gift.
Yet, that's what seems to have happened on the other side of the country. The Autism Society of Newfoundland and Labrador just issued a resource book with a title that refers to autism as a "gift".
https://www.autism.nf.net/autism-the-gift-that-needs-to-be-opened-book-launch/
Why? What was the rationale in picking that title? Does this same group plan to approach the provincial government to seek resources for the treatment of their gifts? I wonder if any other charities representing disorders refer to their respective disorder as a gift? It reminds me of that "joy of autism" movement that was on the front page of a Saturday National Post edition about a decade ago. Joy? Gift? Really? I understand that in life one is likely to be more successful with a positive attitude, but how is the adoption of Orwellian thinking, which turns reality upside down, helpful?
ParticipantHi Folks,
Well, several interesting developments on the election front lately…
First, doing some research in cyberspace, it seems that the Autism Society of Canada is merging with Autism Foundation Canada. Then I got an email from CASDA this week asking that recipients consider sending a copy of a template letter to politicians which asked for their support in developing a national autism strategy. Frankly, I thought the idea of writing a letter is a good one, but they are a little late, and the template letter content and tone was too soft, mushy and wishy-washy for my taste. Reference to a National Autism Strategy is nice, but what is it to contain? Nothing was said about that.However, in contrast, kudos are due to the Medicare for Autism Now! clan for their positive influence and lobbying of the Progressive Canadian (PC) Party.
On their website at: http://www.progressivecanadian.ca/
we see the following announcement, with no "wishy washy" language…PC Party/Brian Marlatt Endorse Non-partisan Medicare for Autism Now!
FRIDAY, 02 OCTOBER 2015 12:08
Progressive Canadian Party Media Release
PC Party/Brian Marlatt Endorse Non-partisan Medicare for Autism Now!October 2, 2015, South Surrey-White Rock – The Progressive Canadian Party supports and endorses the non-partisan "Medicare for Autism Now!" national campaign calling for policy change to make science-based Autism treatment (ABA/IBI) available to all Canadians diagnosed with Autism, regardless of age or where they live. "Political will, alone, will overcome the marginal constitutional barriers to support for families and children victimized by Autism," said the Progressive Canadian Partys Brian Marlatt who first endorsed the national Medicare for Autism NOW!Campaign in the 2008 election. "The provincial governments struggle with the financial burden. The federal government must take the initiative; provincial jurisdiction is not a barrier to the power to persuade or the will to amend the Canada Health Act in the interest of families and children; this governments firewall provincialism comes at a cost to the most vulnerable."
"The Medicare for Autism, NOW! campaign has not received the high profile media attention it did in 2008 when a Rally for Autism took place here, in Surrey, and in Tony Clements riding in Bracebridge, Ontario," Marlatt notes, "but the One in 68 campaign in 2015 deserves support and can continue to count me in." "While BC has stepped up with the support of our local MLA Gordon Hogg and charitable donations to build the Pacific Autism Centre, much more needs to be done."
"The Harper Conservatives continue to fail children and families in real need," Marlatt believes. "A first priority must be to amend the Canada Health Act to provide joint federal/provincial coverage for ABA/IBI scientific-based Autism treatment. The Supreme Court of Canada and lower courts identify autism ABA/IBI as "medically necessary" treatment. There is no excuse for failing to act," Marlatt insists.
"Autism is reported to be a health care epidemic effecting 1 in 68 children in Canada, as indicated by extrapolating US CDC figures," Brian Marlatt stated. "What is equally shocking is that Canadians must rely on American statistics unspecific to Canada. This is symptomatic of the Harper government neoconservative war on knowledge, war on science and inconvenient truths – and defunding of Health Care." Autism treatment can cost families as much as $80,000 per year.. "This is the kind of catastrophic, chronic, health care issue the Canada Health Act can best address. Effective, science-based treatment is available but is not being delivered by the provinces and the federal government is not exercising its responsibilities under the Canada Health Act within its constitutional powers."
Politics as usual on health care is insufficient; that health care is an area of provincial jurisdiction is an inadequate excuse. Today, all levels of government are invited to do better.
Progressive Canadians ask all Canadian parliamentarians to join with them in calling for effective scientific-based autism treatment
For More Information, contact: Brian Marlatt, Progressive Canadian candidate
South Surrey-White RockEmail: brian.marlatt@pcparty.org Phone: (604) 541-9783
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